U.S. patent application number 13/911565 was filed with the patent office on 2014-12-11 for queries of a topic-based-source-specific search system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Sheer Data, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Sheer Data, LLC. Invention is credited to Robert M. Dessau.
Application Number | 20140365467 13/911565 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52006355 |
Filed Date | 2014-12-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140365467 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dessau; Robert M. |
December 11, 2014 |
QUERIES OF A TOPIC-BASED-SOURCE-SPECIFIC SEARCH SYSTEM
Abstract
Approaches for facilitating queries of a
topic-based-source-specific search system are disclosed. In certain
implementations, an input relating to a query may be received.
Suggested ones of predefined sources and suggested ones of
information items of the predefined sources may be determined based
on the input. A set of suggestions including a group of suggestions
relating to the suggested sources and a group of suggestions
relating to the suggested information items may be provided for
presentation on a user interface. In some implementations, metadata
that indicates first, second, or other attributes relating to the
predefined sources or the information items may be stored in
association with the predefined sources or the information items. A
second input relating to the query may be received responsive to
providing the set of suggestions. A presentation of a comparison
between the first attribute and the second attribute may be
provided based on the second input.
Inventors: |
Dessau; Robert M.; (New
York, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sheer Data, LLC |
New York |
NY |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Sheer Data, LLC
New York
NY
|
Family ID: |
52006355 |
Appl. No.: |
13/911565 |
Filed: |
June 6, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
707/722 ;
707/738 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 16/2272 20190101;
G06F 16/90324 20190101; G06F 16/248 20190101; G06F 16/3322
20190101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/722 ;
707/738 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/30 20060101
G06F017/30 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method of facilitating queries of a
topic-based-source-specific search system, the system being
configured to collect information from predefined sources relating
to a content topic prior to the queries, the method being
implemented by the system that includes one or more processors
executing one or more computer program modules which, when
executed, perform the method, the method comprising: receiving, by
a query input module, an input relating to a query; determining, by
a suggestion module, suggested ones of the predefined sources and
suggested ones of information items of the predefined sources based
on the received input; and providing, by a user interface module, a
set of suggestions including a group of suggestions relating to the
suggested sources and a group of suggestions relating to the
suggested information items for presentation on a user
interface.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content topic corresponds to
government information, and wherein the suggested information items
relate to one or more of bills or laws.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the suggested sources are
determined based a determination that one or more identifiers of
the suggested sources correspond to the received input.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the
suggestion module, one or more suggested keywords based on the
received input; and providing, by the user interface module, a
group of suggestions relating to the suggested keywords for
presentation on the user interface simultaneously with the group of
suggestions relating to the suggested sources and the group of
suggestions relating to the suggested information items.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content topic corresponds to
government information, and wherein the information items relate to
one or more of press releases, speeches, opinions, statements, or
legislation.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing, by an
indexing module, metadata in association with the predefined
sources or the information items, wherein the metadata indicate a
first attribute relating to first ones of the predefined sources or
the information items, and a second attribute relating to second
ones of the predefined sources or the information items; receiving,
by the query input module, a second input relating to the query
responsive to providing the set of suggestions; and providing, by
the user interface, a presentation of a comparison between the
first attribute and the second attribute based on the received
second input.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first attribute corresponds
to a first political or government entity, and wherein the second
attribute corresponds to a second political or government
entity.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first political or government
entity corresponds to a first political party, a first political or
government organization, or a first political or government figure,
and wherein the second political or government entity corresponds
to a second political party, a second political or government
organization, or a political or government figure.
9. The method of claim 6, further comprising: providing, by the
user interface module, a query input component on a display of the
user interface simultaneously with the presentation of the
comparison, wherein the query input component is configured to
receive input.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing, by the
user interface module, a query input component on a display of the
user interface, wherein the query input component is configured to
receive input; receiving, by the query input module, a second input
relating to the query responsive to providing the set of
suggestions; and determining, by an information retrieval module, a
subset of the information items that relates to the received second
input; determining, by the information retrieval module, one or
more sources associated with the determined subset of the
information items; and providing, by the user interface module, one
or more representations of the determined subset of the information
items and one or more representations of the determined sources on
the display of the user interface simultaneously with the query
input component.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: determining, by a
user profile module, a source set associated with the user, wherein
the source set includes at least one source associated with the
user; and providing, by the user interface module, one or more
representations of options to modify the source set on the display
of the user interface simultaneously with the query input
component, the representations of the determined subset, and the
representations of the determined sources.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining, by the
user profile module, that the source set includes a first source of
the determined sources; and determining, by the user profile
module, that the source set does not include a second source of the
determined sources, wherein the representations of the modify
options includes a representation of an option to remove the first
source from the source set based on the determination that the
source set includes the first source and a representation of an
option to add the second source to the source set based on the
determination that the source set does not include the second
source.
13. The method of claim 10, further comprising: associating, by a
user profile module, one or more first item types with a primary
item type set based on one or more inputs corresponding to
selection of the first item types; providing, by the user interface
module, one or more representations of first information items of
the determined subset in a primary area on the display of the user
interface based on a determination that the first information items
are associated with the first item types; and providing, by the
user interface module, one or more representations of second
information items of the determined subset in a secondary area on
the display of the user interface based on a determination that the
second information items are associated with one or more second
item types, wherein the primary area and the secondary area are
provided on the display of the user interface simultaneously with
the query input component and the determined sources.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: providing, by the
user interface module, one or more representations of options to
select or unselect a plurality of item types to modify the primary
item type set on the display of the user interface simultaneously
with the query input component, the representations of the
determined sources, the primary area, and the secondary area,
wherein providing of the representations of the first information
items in the primary area and the representations of the second
information items in the secondary area is based on one or more
inputs corresponding to selecting the first item types of the
plurality of item types or unselecting the second item types of the
plurality of item types.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the secondary area is removed
from view on the display of the user interface based on a
determination that each of the plurality of item types is
selected.
16. The method of claim 10, further comprising: providing, by the
user interface module, one of the information items of the
determined subset on a second display of the user interface;
determining, by the suggestion module, suggested keywords that
relate to a second query and the presented information item; and
providing, by the user interface module, a group of suggestions
relating to the suggested keywords on the second display of the
user interface simultaneously with the presented information
item.
17. The method of claim 10, further comprising: determining, by a
user profile module, a source set associated with a user, wherein
the source set includes at least one source associated with the
user; determining, by the suggestion module, second suggested ones
of the predefined sources that are not included in the source set;
and providing, by the user interface module, a group of suggestions
relating to the suggested sources on the display of the user
interface simultaneously with the query input component, the
representations of the determined subset, and the representations
of the determined sources based on a determination that the second
suggested sources are not included in the source set.
18. The method of claim 10, further comprising: determine, by the
information retrieval module, one or more first information items
of the determined subset based on one or more first filters;
determine, by the information retrieval module, one or more second
information items of the determined subset based on one or more
second filters; and providing, by the user interface module, one or
more representations of the first information items in a first area
on the display of the user interface and one or more
representations of the second information items in a second area on
the display of the user interface, wherein the first area and the
second area are provided on the display of the user interface
simultaneously with the query input component and the determined
sources.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first filters relate to one
or more of first political entities, first government entities, or
first legislations, and wherein the second filters relate to one or
more of second political entities, second government entities, or
second legislations.
20. A computer-implemented method of facilitating comparisons of
information item attributes based on queries of a
topic-based-source-specific search system, the system being
configured to collect information from predefined sources relating
to a content topic prior to the queries, the method being
implemented by the system that includes one or more processors
executing one or more computer program modules which, when
executed, perform the method, the method comprising: storing, by an
indexing module, metadata in association with information items of
the predefined sources, wherein the metadata indicate a first
attribute relating to first ones of the information items and a
second attribute relating to second ones of the information items;
receiving, by a query input module, an input relating to a query;
and determining, by an information retrieval module, a subset of
the information items that relates to the received input;
providing, by a user interface module, a display of a user
interface that presents a comparison between the first attribute
and the second attribute based on one or more first information
items of the determined subset that relate to the first attribute
and one or more second information items of the determined subset
that relate to the second attribute.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first attribute corresponds
to a first political or government entity, and wherein the second
attribute corresponds to a second political or government
entity.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first political or
government entity corresponds to a first political party, a first
political or government organization, or a first political or
government figure, and wherein the second political or government
entity corresponds to a second political party, a second political
or government organization, or a second political or government
figure.
23. The method of claim 20, further comprising: receiving, by the
query input module, a second input relating to a second query of a
plurality of attributes; determining, by a suggestion module,
suggested ones of the plurality of attributes based on the received
second input; and providing, by the user interface module, a group
of suggestions related to the suggested attributes on the display
of the user interface simultaneously with the presentation of the
comparison.
24. The method of claim 20, further comprising: providing, by the
user interface module, one or more representations of the
determined subset of the information items on the display of the
user interface simultaneously with the presentation of the
comparison.
25. A computer-implemented method of facilitating comparisons of
predefined source attributes based on queries of a
topic-based-source-specific search system, the system being
configured to collect information from predefined sources relating
to a content topic prior to the queries, the method being
implemented by the system that includes one or more processors
executing one or more computer program modules which, when
executed, perform the method, the method comprising: storing, by an
indexing module, metadata in association with the predefined
sources, wherein the metadata indicate a first attribute relating
to first ones of the predefined sources and a second attribute
relating to second ones of the predefined sources; receiving, by a
query input module, an input relating to a query; determining, by
an information retrieval module, a subset of information items of
the predefined sources that relates to the received input; and
providing, by a user interface module, a display of a user
interface that presents a comparison between the first attribute
and the second attribute based on one or more first sources of the
predefined sources associated with the determined subset that
relate to the first attribute and one or more second sources of the
predefined sources associated with the determined subset that
relate to the second attribute.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first attribute corresponds
to a first political party, a first political or government
organization, or a first political or government figure, and
wherein the second attribute corresponds to a second political
party, a second political or government organization, or a second
political or government figure, the method further comprising:
providing, by the user interface module, one or more
representations of the determined subset of the information items
on the display of the user interface simultaneously with the
presentation of the comparison.
27. A topic-based-source-specific search system for facilitating
queries of the system, the system being configured to collect
information from predefined sources relating to a content topic
prior to the queries, the system comprising: one or more physical
processors configured to execute computer program modules, the
computer program modules comprising: an query input module
configured to receive an input relating to a query; a suggestion
module configured to determine suggested ones of the predefined
sources and suggested ones of information items of the predefined
sources based on the received input; and a user interface module
configured to provide a set of suggestions including a group of
suggestions relating to the suggested sources and a group of
suggestions relating to the suggested information items for
presentation on a user interface.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates generally to queries of a
topic-based-source-specific search system, including, among other
aspects, simultaneous presentation of suggestions (e.g., suggested
sources, suggested information items, suggested keywords, or other
suggestions), comparisons relating to queries, multiple result sets
based on different filters, multiple options to modify an
associated source set, or other features based on queries of a
topic-based-source-specific search system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Numerous disparate sources of government information exist.
These sources include government websites, intergovernmental agency
websites, news websites, and other sources. One problem with
existing systems and methods for accessing this information is the
need to find and repeatedly visit numerous sites to stay abreast of
the desired information. These and other drawbacks exists.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The invention addressing these and other drawbacks relates
to methods, apparatuses, and/or systems for facilitating queries of
a topic-based-source-specific search system. In exemplary
implementations, a plurality of predefined sources of government
information may be pre-selected for the topic-based-source-specific
search system. The predefined sources and information items of the
predefined sources may be processed. Metadata indicating various
attributes of the predefined sources or the information items may
be stored in association with the predefined sources or the
information items. The search system, user interfaces of the search
system, or other components of the search system may be configured
to provide: (i) discovery and following of sources of the
predefined sources; (ii) viewing of information items from the
followed sources, query results, or other information in an
organized manner; (iii) comparisons of attributes associated with
the predefined sources or the information items; (iv) or other
benefits.
[0004] A system for facilitating queries of a
topic-based-source-specific search system may comprise one or more
servers (or other components) that include one or more processors
configured to execute one or more computer program modules. The
computer program modules may include a query input module, a
suggestion module, a user interface module, an information
retrieval module, an indexing module, a user profile module, a
comparison module, or other modules.
[0005] In certain implementations, the topic-based-search-specific
search system may be configured to collect information from
predefined sources relating to a content topic prior to queries of
the topic-based-search-specific search system. In some
implementations, the content topic may correspond to government
information or other type of information.
[0006] The query input module may be configured to receive an input
relating to a query. In one scenario, the received input may
correspond to a portion of a query that a user has not yet
submitted or otherwise completed. The received input may, for
instance, represent at least a portion of a query that the user may
submit. In another scenario, the received input may correspond to a
complete query.
[0007] The suggestion module may be configured to determine
suggested ones of the predefined sources, suggested ones of
information items of the predefined sources, one or more suggested
keywords, or other suggestions based on the received input. In
certain implementations, the information items of the predefined
sources may relate to press releases, speeches, opinions,
statements, legislations, or other government information. Formats
of the information items may correspond to one or more of textual
formats, image formats, audio formats, video formats, or other
formats. In some implementations, the suggested information items
may relate to bills, laws, or other government information.
[0008] The user interface module may be configured to provide a set
of suggestions including a group of suggestions relating to the
suggested sources, a group of suggestions relating to the suggested
information items, a group of suggestions relating to the suggested
keywords, or a group of other suggestions for presentation on a
user interface.
[0009] In various implementations, the suggestion module may be
configured to determine the suggested sources based on a
determination that one or more identifiers of the suggested sources
correspond to the received input.
[0010] In certain implementations, the user interface module may be
configured to provide a query input component on a display of the
user interface. The query input component may, for example, be
configured to receive input. In some implementations, the query
input module may be configured to receive a second input relating
to the query responsive to providing the set of suggestions (that
includes a group of suggestions relating to the suggested sources,
a group of suggestions relating to the suggested information items,
a group of suggestions relating to the suggested keywords, or a
group of other suggestions). The information retrieval module may
be configured to determine a subset of the information items that
relates to the received second input. The information retrieval
module may be configured to determine one or more sources
associated with the determined subset of the information items. The
user interface module may provide one or more representations of
the determined subset of the information items and one or more
representations of the determined sources on the display of the
user interface simultaneously with the query input component.
[0011] In various implementations, the user profile module may be
configured to determine a source set associated with a user. The
source set may, for example, include at least one source associated
with the user. The suggestion module may be configured to determine
second suggested ones of the predefined sources that are not
included in the source set. The user interface module may be
configured to provide a group of suggestions relating to the
suggested sources on the display of the user interface
simultaneously with the query input component, the representations
of the determined subset of the information items, and the
representations of the determined sources (e.g., the sources of the
predefined sources that relate to the determined subset of the
information items) based on a determination that the second
suggested sources are not included in the source set.
[0012] In certain implementations, the information retrieval module
may be configured to determine one or more first information items
of the determined subset of the information items and one or more
second information items of the determined subset of the
information items based on one or more filters. In various
implementations, the information retrieval module may be configured
to determine the first information items of the determined subset
based on one or more first filters. The information retrieval
module may be configured to determine the second information items
of the determined subset based on one or more second filters. The
user interface module may be configured to provide one or more
representations of the first information items in a first area on
the display of the user interface and one or more representations
of the second information items in a second area on the display of
the user interface.
[0013] In some implementations, the first filters may relate to one
or more of first political entities, first government entities, or
first legislations. The second filters may relate to one or more of
second political entities, second government entities, or second
legislations. By way of example, political or government entities
may include political parties (e.g., Democrat, Republican,
Independent, etc.), political or government organizations,
political or government figures, or other political or government
entities. Legislations may include amendments, bills, laws,
resolutions, or other legislation.
[0014] In certain implementations, the user profile module may be
configured to determine a source set associated with a user. The
source set may, for instance, include at least one source
associated with the user. The user interface module may be
configured to provide one or more representations to modify the
source set on the display of the user interface simultaneously with
the query input component, the representations of the determined
subset (e.g., the subset of the information items that relate to
the received input), and the representations of the determined
sources (e.g., the sources of the predefined sources that relate to
the determined subset of the information items).
[0015] In some implementations, the user profile module may be
configured to determine that the source set includes a first source
of the determined sources (e.g., the sources of the predefined
sources that relate to the determined subset of the information
items). The user profile module may be configured to determine that
the source set do not include a second source of the determined
sources. In one or more implementations, the representations of the
modify options may include a representation of an option to remove
the first source from the source set based on the determination
that the source set includes the first source and a representation
of an option to add the second source to the source set based on
the determination that the source set does not include the second
source.
[0016] In various implementations, the user profile module may be
configured to associate one or more first item types with a primary
item type set based on one or more inputs corresponding to
selection of the first item types. The user interface module may be
configured to provide one or more representations of first
information items of the determined subset (e.g., the subset of the
information items that relate to the received input) in a primary
area on the display of the user interface based on a determination
that the first information items are associated with the first item
types. The user interface module may be configured to provide one
or more representations of second information items of the
determined subset in a secondary area on the display of the user
interface based on a determination that the second information
items are associated with one or more second item types. The
primary area and the secondary area may, for example, be provided
on the display of the user interface simultaneously with the query
input component and the determined sources (e.g., the sources of
the predefined sources that relate to the determined subset of the
information items).
[0017] In some implementations, the user interface module may be
configured to provide one or more representations of options to
select or unselect a plurality of item types to modify the primary
item type set on the display of the user interface simultaneously
with the query input component, the representations of the
determined sources, the primary area, and the secondary area. In
one or more implementations, the user interface module may be
configured to provide the representations of the first information
items in the primary area and the representations of the second
information items in the secondary area based on one or more inputs
corresponding to selecting the first item types of the plurality of
item types or unselecting the second item types of the plurality of
item types.
[0018] In certain implementations, the user interface module may be
configured to remove the secondary area from view on the display of
the user interface based on a determination that each of the
plurality of item types is selected.
[0019] In some implementations, the user interface module may be
configured to provide one of the information items of the
determined subset on a second display of the user interface. The
suggestion module may be configured to determine suggested keywords
that relate to a second query and the presented information item.
The user interface module may be configured to provide a group of
suggestions relating to the suggested keywords on the second
display of the user interface simultaneously with the presented
information item.
[0020] In certain implementations, the indexing module may be
configured to store metadata in association with the predefined
sources or the information items of the predefined sources. The
metadata may indicate a first attribute relating to first ones of
the predefined sources or the information items, a second attribute
relating to second ones of the predefined sources or the
information items, or other attribute. In some implementations, the
first attribute may include a first political or government entity,
or other attribute. The second attribute may include a second
political or government entity, or other attribute. In one or more
implementations, the first political or government entity may
include a first political party, a first political or government
organization, a first political or government figure, or other
entity. The second political or government entity is a second
political party, a second political or government organization, a
political or government figure, or other entity.
[0021] In various implementations, the query input module may
receive a second input relating to the query responsive to the set
of suggestions (that include a group of suggestions relating to the
suggested sources, a group of suggestions relating to the suggested
information items, a group of suggestions relating to the suggested
keywords, or a group of other suggestions) provided by the user
interface module.
[0022] The comparison module may be configured to generate a
comparison between the first attribute and the second attribute
based on the received second input. In some implementations, the
user interface module may be configured to provide a presentation
of the generated comparison on the display of the user interface
simultaneously with the query input component.
[0023] In certain implementations, the query input module may be
configured to receive an input relating to a query. The information
retrieval module may be configured to determine a subset of
information items of the predefined sources that relate to the
received input. In some implementations, the comparison module may
be configured to generate the comparison based on one or more first
sources of the predefined sources associated with the determined
subset that relate to the first attribute and one or more second
sources of the predefined sources associated with the determined
subset that relate to the second attribute. In one or more
implementations, the comparison module may be configured to
generate the comparison based on one or more first information
items of the determined subset that relate to the first attribute
and one or more second information items of the determined subset
that relate to the second attribute. In various implementations,
the user interface module may be configured to provide a
presentation of the comparison on a display of a user interface
simultaneously with one or more representations of the determined
subset of the information items.
[0024] These and other features of the present invention, as well
as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements
of structure and the combination of parts and economies of
manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the
following description and the appended claims with reference to the
accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this
specification, wherein like reference numerals designate
corresponding parts in the various figures. It is to be expressly
understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of
illustration and description only and are not intended as a
definition of the limits of the invention. As used in the
specification and in the claims, the singular form of "a", "an",
and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly
dictates otherwise.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] The invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by
way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawing and
in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements.
[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of a system for facilitating
queries of a topic-based-source-specific search system, in
accordance with one or more implementations.
[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary diagram of a display of a
user interface that presents a query input component and
suggestions relating to received input entered via the query input
component, in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0028] FIG. 3A illustrates an exemplary diagram of a display of a
user interface, in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0029] FIGS. 3B-3I illustrate exemplary diagrams of components of a
display of a user interface, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0030] FIG. 3J illustrates an exemplary diagram of a display of a
user interface, in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0031] FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary diagram of a display of a
user interface, in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0032] FIGS. 4B-4F illustrate exemplary diagrams of components of a
display of a user interface, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0033] FIG. 5A illustrates an exemplary diagram of a display of a
user interface, in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0034] FIGS. 5B-5D illustrate exemplary diagrams of components of a
display of a user interface, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0035] FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of processing operations for
facilitating queries of a topic-based-source-specific search
system, in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0036] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of processing operations for
facilitating queries of a topic-based-source-specific search
system, in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0037] FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart of processing operations for
facilitating comparisons of predefined source attributes based on
queries of a topic-based-source-specific search system, in
accordance with one or more implementations.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0038] In the following description, for the purposes of
explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to
provide a thorough understanding of the implementations of the
invention. It will be appreciated, however, by one skilled in the
art that the implementations of the invention may be practiced
without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement.
In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in
block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the
implementations of the invention. It should be noted that features
(e.g., components, operations, or other features) described herein
may be implemented separately or in combination with one
another.
[0039] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of system 100 for facilitating
queries of a topic-based-source-specific search system, in
accordance with one or more implementations. System 100 may
comprise the topic-based-source-specific search system. The
topic-based-source-specific search system may include one or more
servers 102. Server 102 (or servers 102) may be configured to
communicate with one or more user devices 104 according to a
client/server architecture (e.g., over communication network 106 or
via other communication medium). Users may access system 100 via
user devices 104.
[0040] Server 102 may be configured to execute one or more computer
program modules to facilitate queries of a
topic-based-source-specific search system. The computer program
modules may include a query input module 108, a suggestion module
110, a user interface module 112, an information retrieval module
114, an indexing module 116, a user profile module 118, a
comparison module 120, or other modules.
[0041] In certain implementations, the topic-based-search-specific
search system may be configured to collect information from
predefined sources relating to a content topic prior to queries of
the topic-based-search-specific search system. In some
implementations, the content topic may correspond to government
information or other type of information. The search system may,
for example, determine the predefined sources and collect
information from the predefined sources using techniques as
described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/430,145, entitled
"System and Method for Collecting, Processing, and Presenting
Selected Information From Selected Sources via a Single Website,"
filed May 9, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference on its
entirety.
[0042] Query input module 108 may be configured to receive an input
relating to a query. In one scenario, the received input may
correspond to a portion of a query that a user has not yet
submitted or otherwise completed. The received input may, for
instance, represent at least a portion of a query that the user may
submit. In another scenario, the received input may correspond to a
complete query.
[0043] Suggestion module 110 may be configured to determine
suggested ones of the predefined sources, suggested ones of
information items of the predefined sources, one or more suggested
keywords, or other suggestions based on the received input. In
certain implementations, the information items of the predefined
sources may relate to press releases, speeches, opinions,
statements, legislations, or other government information. Formats
of the information items may correspond to one or more of textual
formats, image formats, audio formats, video formats, or other
formats. In some implementations, the suggested information items
may relate to bills, laws, or other government information.
[0044] User interface module 112 may be configured to provide a set
of suggestions including a group of suggestions relating to the
suggested sources, a group of suggestions relating to the suggested
information items, a group of suggestions relating to the suggested
keywords, or a group of other suggestions for presentation on a
user interface.
[0045] For example, FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary diagram of a
display 200 of a user interface that presents a query input
component 202 and suggestions relating to received input entered
via query input component 202, in accordance with one or more
implementations. As shown by FIG. 2, "pelo" may be a portion of a
query that has been entered via query input component 202.
Responsive to the portion of the query being entered, source
suggestions, keyword suggestions, and information item suggestions
that relate to the portion of the query or a predicted query of the
query portion (e.g., "pelosi," "pelosi remarks," etc.) may be
presented on display 200 simultaneously with query input component
202.
[0046] In one use case, the source suggestions (e.g., Source 1,
Source 2, Source 3, etc.) may identify sources with source names
that include terms or phrases relating to the portion of the query
or the predicted query, sources that include information items that
indicate terms or phrases relating to the portion of the query or
the predicted query, or other related sources. The source
suggestions may, for example, be determined based on frequency that
the information items of the respective sources indicate the
related terms or phrases (e.g., selecting source suggestions from
sources with the greatest amounts of information items that
indicate the related terms or phrases are selected as source
suggestions, sources with the greatest average frequencies of the
related terms or phrases in their respective information items,
etc.). The order of the source suggestions in the depicted list may
be based on frequency that the information items of the respective
sources indicate the related terms or phrases (e.g., suggested
sources associated with greater frequencies are placed higher on
the list, suggested sources associated with lower frequencies are
placed lower on the list, etc.).
[0047] In another use case, the keyword suggestions (e.g., Keyword
Set 1, Keyword Set 2, Keyword Set 3, etc.) may identify predicted
keywords or other related keywords. The keyword suggestions or the
order of the keyword suggestions may, for example, be based on
frequency information relating to the suggested keywords. In yet
another use case, the information item suggestions may identify
information items of the predefined sources that indicates terms or
phrases relating to the portion of the query or the predicted
query, or other related information items. The information item
suggestions or the order of the information item suggestions may,
for example, be based on frequency information relating to the
suggested information items.
[0048] In various implementations, suggestion module 110 may be
configured to determine the suggested sources based on a
determination that one or more identifiers of the suggested sources
correspond to the received input. With respect to FIG. 2, for
example, the source suggestions may include "Rep. Pelosi,
Nancy--(D--CA)," "Office of the Democratic Leader--Nancy Pelosi,"
etc. In some implementations, suggestion module 110 may be
configured to determine the suggested sources based on a
determination that information items of the suggested sources
correspond to the received input.
[0049] In certain implementations, user interface module 112 may be
configured to provide a query input component on a display of the
user interface. The query input component may, for example, be
configured to receive input. In some implementations, query input
module 108 may be configured to receive a second input relating to
the query responsive to providing the set of suggestions (that
includes a group of suggestions relating to the suggested sources,
a group of suggestions relating to the suggested information items,
a group of suggestions relating to the suggested keywords, or a
group of other suggestions). Information retrieval module 114 may
be configured to determine a subset of the information items that
relates to the received second input. Information retrieval module
114 may be configured to determine one or more sources associated
with the determined subset of the information items. User interface
module 112 may provide one or more representations of the
determined subset of the information items and one or more
representations of the determined sources on the display of the
user interface simultaneously with the query input component.
[0050] For example, FIG. 3A illustrates an exemplary diagram of a
display 300 of a user interface, in accordance with one or more
implementations. As shown by FIG. 3A, display 300 may include query
input components 202 and 302. In one use case, query input
component 202 may be configured to receive input for a new search
query. Query input component 302 may be configured to receive input
to search within a current set of search results. Representation
304 may be a representation of an option to save the current set of
search results, save a query input corresponding to the current set
of search results, or save other information. The saved information
may, for example, be stored in a user profile of a user.
[0051] As depicted by FIG. 3A, for example, display 300 may include
feed area 306, filter areas 308 and 310, item type selection area
312, a primary information item area 314, one or more secondary
information item areas 316. Primary information item area 314 may
include one or more source representation areas 318 and
corresponding item description areas 320. In one use case,
responsive to selection of a suggested keyword via a drop-drop menu
of suggestions that is presented based on a first input entered
into query input component 202, information items that relate to
the suggested keyword may be determined along with one or more
sources that are associated with the determined information items.
Representations of the determined sources and representations of
the determined information items may be presented on primary
information item area 314 (e.g., source representation areas 318,
item description areas 320, etc.) and secondary information item
areas 316.
[0052] In various implementations, user profile module 118 may be
configured to determine a source set associated with a user. The
source set may, for example, include at least one source associated
with the user. Suggestion module 110 may be configured to determine
second suggested ones of the predefined sources that are not
included in the source set. User interface module 112 may be
configured to provide a group of suggestions relating to the
suggested sources on the display of the user interface
simultaneously with the query input component, the representations
of the determined subset of the information items, and the
representations of the determined sources (e.g., the sources of the
predefined sources that relate to the determined subset of the
information items) based on a determination that the second
suggested sources are not included in the source set.
[0053] For example, with respect to FIGS. 3B and 3C, feed area 306
may include sub-areas 322, 324, 326, and 328. In one use case, when
sub-area 322 (e.g., "Feed") is selected, representations of sources
that a user is following and representations of information items
of the followed sources may be presented in the primary information
item area 314 and the secondary information item areas 316. The
representations of the followed sources and the representations of
the information items of the followed sources may, for example, be
ordered in the primary information item area 314 and the secondary
information item areas 316 based on relevancy, date, or other
criteria.
[0054] When sub-area 324 (e.g., "Following") is selected, a query
input component may be presented in display 300 that is configured
to receive inputs relating to a query of sources that are not
currently followed by the user. Initially, for example, suggested
ones of the sources that are not currently followed by the user may
be determined based on relevancy of the sources to the user (e.g.,
the suggested not-currently-followed sources may relate to the
information items of the followed sources, the information items
resulting from a query search, a bookmarked information item,
etc.), and presented on display 300 as a drop-down menu over feed
area 306. Upon input being entered in the field of the query input
component depicted in FIG. 3C, the suggested non-currently-followed
sources may be updated to reflect the entered input. For example,
responsive to "tax" being entered, non-currently followed sources
that relate to the input "tax" may be presented as suggested
sources on display 300. Suggested Sources 1-3 may, for instance, be
associated with source identifiers that correspond to the input
"tax." Suggested Sources 4-6 may be associated with information
items that "deal with `tax.`"
[0055] In certain implementations, information retrieval module 114
may be configured to determine one or more first information items
of the determined subset of the information items and one or more
second information items of the determined subset of the
information items based on one or more filters. For example, with
respect to FIGS. 3D and 3E, filters areas 308 and 310 may enable
refinement of the sources and the information items that are
represented in primary information item area 314 and secondary
information item areas 316. One or more of the filters (e.g.,
keywords, figures, organizations, places, date, party affiliation,
state delegation, or other filters) may be selected to refine the
represented sources and information items in primary information
item area 314 and secondary information item areas 316. Filter
areas 308 and 310 may be expanded to provide additional filters in
display 300 or in another display.
[0056] In various implementations, information retrieval module 114
may be configured to determine the first information items of the
determined subset based on one or more first filters. Information
retrieval module 114 may be configured to determine the second
information items of the determined subset based on one or more
second filters. User interface module 112 may be configured to
provide one or more representations of the first information items
in a first area on the display of the user interface and one or
more representations of the second information items in a second
area on the display of the user interface. In one use case, with
respect to FIG. 3E, "Time Range 1" and "Party 1" may be selected as
the first filters, and "Time Range 1" and "Party 2" may be selected
as the second filters. As such, for instance, information items of
the determined subset that relate to "Time Range 1" and "Party 1"
may be represented in a first list in display 300, and information
items of the determined subset that relate to "Time Range 1" and
"Party 2" may be represented in a second list in display 300 (e.g.,
side-by-side lists, primary list and secondary list, etc.). In this
way, among other benefits, system 100 may enable users to compares
the different filtered result sets alongside one another on a
single display and modify the respective filtered sets to update
each of the filtered result sets on the single display.
[0057] In some implementations, the first filters may relate to one
or more of first political entities, first government entities, or
first legislations. The second filters may relate to one or more of
second political entities, second government entities, or second
legislations. By way of example, political or government entities
may include political parties (e.g., Democrat, Republican,
Independent, etc.), political or government organizations,
political or government figures, or other political or government
entities. Legislations may include amendments, bills, laws,
resolutions, or other legislation.
[0058] In certain implementations, user profile module 118 may be
configured to determine a source set associated with a user. The
source set may, for instance, include at least one source
associated with the user. User interface module 112 may be
configured to provide one or more representations to modify the
source set on the display of the user interface simultaneously with
the query input component, the representations of the determined
subset (e.g., the subset of the information items that relate to
the received input), and the representations of the determined
sources (e.g., the sources of the predefined sources that relate to
the determined subset of the information items).
[0059] For example, with respect to FIG. 3F, each of the source
representation areas 318 that are provided on display 300 may
include a source-set-modifier 330 (e.g., "+" to add a source to the
source set, "-" to remove a source from the source set, etc.). A
user may, for instance, follow or unfollow a particular source
using source-set-modifier 330 to add or remove the source to/from
the source set associated with the user. Thus, among other
benefits, a user may quickly follow or unfollow sources based on
individual ones of the information items that are presented on
display 300 without necessarily having to directly search for or
access the sources. In one scenario, if a source-set-modifier 330
corresponding to the source is a representation of an option to add
the source, a single click or touch (or other input corresponding
to selecting the option) may trigger user profile module 118 to add
the source to the source set associated with the user. If the
source-set-modifier 330 corresponding to the source is a
representation of an option to remove the source, a single click or
touch may trigger user profile module 118 to remove the source from
the source set associated with the user. In another scenario, a
click or touch (or other input corresponding to selecting the
option) of source-set-modifier 330 may prompt the user with a
request to add or remove the source to/from the source set
associated with the user.)
[0060] In some implementations, user profile module 118 may be
configured to determine that the source set includes a first source
of the determined sources (e.g., the sources of the predefined
sources that relate to the determined subset of the information
items). User profile module 118 may be configured to determine that
the source set do not include a second source of the determined
sources. In one or more implementations, the representations of the
modify options may include a representation of an option to remove
the first source from the source set based on the determination
that the source set includes the first source and a representation
of an option to add the second source to the source set based on
the determination that the source set does not include the second
source.
[0061] For example, with respect to FIGS. 3A and 3F, if the source
corresponding to source representation area 318a and item
description area 320a is a source that a user currently follows
(e.g., the source set includes the source corresponding to areas
318a and 320a), the source-set-modifier 330 in source
representation area 318a may depict a "-" symbol to indicate the
option to unfollow the source corresponding to areas 318a and 320a.
On the other hand, if the source corresponding to source
representation area 318b and item description area 320b is a source
that the user is not currently following (e.g., the source set does
not include the source corresponding to areas 318b and 320b), the
source-set-modifier 330 in source representation area 318b may
depict a "+" symbol to indicate the option to follow the source
corresponding to areas 318b and 320b. In this way, among other
benefits, system 100 may enable users to quickly determine related
sources that they currently follow or do not follow as the users
browse the representations of the information items on display
300.
[0062] In various implementations, user profile module 118 may be
configured to associate one or more first item types with a primary
item type set based on one or more inputs corresponding to
selection of the first item types. User interface module 112 may be
configured to provide one or more representations of first
information items of the determined subset (e.g., the subset of the
information items that relate to the received input) in a primary
area on the display of the user interface based on a determination
that the first information items are associated with the first item
types. User interface module 112 may be configured to provide one
or more representations of second information items of the
determined subset in a secondary area on the display of the user
interface based on a determination that the second information
items are associated with one or more second item types. The
primary area and the secondary area may, for example, be provided
on the display of the user interface simultaneously with the query
input component and the determined sources (e.g., the sources of
the predefined sources that relate to the determined subset of the
information items).
[0063] By way of example, with respect to FIGS. 3G and 3H,
individual ones of the information items associated with the first
item types may be represented by item description areas 320 in
primary information item area 314 alongside a corresponding source
representation area 318 (e.g., that includes a graphical
representation of the source), and individual ones of the
information items associated with the second item types may be
represented by item description areas 332 in secondary information
item area 316 alongside a corresponding source representation area
334 (e.g., that includes a graphical representation of the source).
Individual ones of the item description areas 320 in primary
information item area 314 may include more area for details (e.g.,
title of an information item, type of an information item, number
of words in an information item, length or duration of an
information item, date of an information item, etc.) relating to
the corresponding information item than individual ones of the item
description areas 332 in secondary information item area 316. As
depicted by FIGS. 3G and 3H, individual ones of the item
description areas 320 in primary information item area 314 may
include a representation 336 of an option to bookmark, share, or
initiate other operations, and individual ones of the item
description areas 332 in secondary information item area 316 may
not include such a representation.
[0064] In some implementations, user interface module 112 may be
configured to provide one or more representations of options to
select or unselect a plurality of item types to modify the primary
item type set on the display of the user interface simultaneously
with the query input component, the representations of the
determined sources, the primary area, and the secondary area. In
one or more implementations, user interface module 112 may be
configured to provide the representations of the first information
items in the primary area and the representations of the second
information items in the secondary area based on one or more inputs
corresponding to selecting the first item types of the plurality of
item types or unselecting the second item types of the plurality of
item types.
[0065] For example, with respect to FIG. 3I, item type selection
area 312 may include selectable item types. In one use case,
responsive to only "Item Type 1" being a selected item type,
representations of information items associated with "Item Type 1"
may be provided in primary information item area 314, and
representations of information items associated with "Item Type 2"
or "Item Type 3" may be provided in secondary information item
areas 316. In another use case, responsive to "Item Type 3" being
selected in addition to "Item Type 1" being selected,
representations of information items associated with "Item Type 1"
or "Item Type 3" may be provided in primary information item area
314, and representations of information items associated with "Item
Type 2" may be provided in one of secondary information item areas
316. In yet another use case, responsive to "Item Type 1" being
unselected (and "Item Type 3" remaining selected), representations
of information items associated with "Item Type 3" may be provided
in primary information item area 314, and representations of
information items associated with "Item Type 1" or "Item Type 2"
may be provided in secondary information item areas 316.
[0066] In certain implementations, user interface module 112 may be
configured to remove the secondary area from view on the display of
the user interface based on a determination that each of the
plurality of item types is selected. For example, with respect to
FIGS. 3I and 3J, responsive to "Item Type 1," "Item Type 2," and
"Item Type 3" being selected, secondary information item areas 316
may be hidden, collapsed, or otherwise removed from view on display
300. As depicted in FIG. 3J, responsive to removal of secondary
information item areas 316 from view on display 300, primary
information item area 314 is expanded on display 300.
[0067] In some implementations, user interface module 112 may be
configured to provide one of the information items of the
determined subset on a second display of the user interface.
Suggestion module 110 may be configured to determine suggested
keywords that relate to a second query and the presented
information item. User interface module 112 may be configured to
provide a group of suggestions relating to the suggested keywords
on the second display of the user interface simultaneously with the
presented information item.
[0068] For example, with respect to FIG. 4A, display 400 may
include a source representation area 402, a related information
item area 404, a query suggestion area 406, a general information
area 408, and a main content area 410. As shown by FIG. 4B, source
representation area may provide a representation (e.g., graphical
representation or other representation) of the source of the
presented information item, a summary of the source (e.g., 3000
Type 1 Information Items, 2000 Type 2 Information Items, and 5000
Total Information Items, etc.), a representation of an option to
follow or unfollow the source, or other features. As illustrated by
FIG. 4C, related information item area 404 may include source
representation areas 412 that correspond to the source of the
presented information item, item description areas 416 that
correspond to the source of the presented information item, or
other features.
[0069] As depicted by FIG. 4D, query suggestion area 406 may
include new query suggestions. The new query suggestions may
include suggested keywords, suggested people, suggested places, or
other suggestions. The suggested keywords, the suggested people, or
the suggested places may, for example, relate to the presented
information item. In one use case, with respect to FIGS. 4D, 4E,
and 4F, the suggested keywords, the suggested people, or the
suggested places may correspond to terms or phrases in general
information area 408 and main content area 410 (e.g., query
keywords that generated search results having the presented
information item, terms or phrases corresponding to related links
in presented information item, near-matches terms or phrases
corresponding to the query keywords, etc.).
[0070] As shown by FIG. 4E, general information area 408 may
include general information relating to the presented information
item, a representation 418 of an option to bookmark the presented
information item, share the presented information item, or perform
other operations relating to the presented information item, or
other features. As depicted by FIG. 4F, main content area 410 may
include the main content of the presented information item, a
representation 420 of an option to bookmark the presented
information item, share the presented information item, or perform
other operations relating to the presented information item, or
other features. In one use case, portions of general information
area 408 or main content area 410 may be highlighted with one or
more distinguishing features to indicate relevance or other
indications. As an example, query keywords that generated search
results having the presented information item may be highlighted a
first color, terms or phrases corresponding to related links in
presented information item may be highlighted a second color,
near-matches terms or phrases corresponding to the query keywords
may be highlighted a third color, etc.
[0071] In certain implementations, indexing module 116 may be
configured to store metadata in association with the predefined
sources or the information items of the predefined sources. The
metadata may indicate a first attribute relating to first ones of
the predefined sources or the information items, a second attribute
relating to second ones of the predefined sources or the
information items, or other attribute. In some implementations, the
first attribute may include a first political or government entity,
or other attribute. The second attribute may include a second
political or government entity, or other attribute. In one or more
implementations, the first political or government entity may
include a first political party, a first political or government
organization, a first political or government figure, or other
entity. The second political or government entity is a second
political party, a second political or government organization, a
political or government figure, or other entity.
[0072] In various implementations, query input module 108 may
receive a second input relating to the query responsive to the set
of suggestions (that include a group of suggestions relating to the
suggested sources, a group of suggestions relating to the suggested
information items, a group of suggestions relating to the suggested
keywords, or a group of other suggestions) provided by user
interface module 112. In one use case, the received second input
may correspond to a selection of at least one of the provided
suggestions.
[0073] Comparison module 120 may be configured to generate a
comparison between the first attribute and the second attribute
based on the received second input. In some implementations, user
interface module 112 may be configured to provide a presentation of
the generated comparison on the display of the user interface
simultaneously with the query input component.
[0074] For example, with respect to FIG. 5A, display 500 may
include query input component 202, comparison area 502, attribute
area 504, first information item area 506a, and second information
item area 506b. In one scenario, with respect to FIG. 5B, a
selection of suggested keywords (e.g., "health care") may generate
a graph 508 shown in comparison area 502. The graph may, for
example, illustrate a comparison between the percentages of
information items by "Democrat" sources that mention "health care"
and the percentages of information items by "Republican" sources
that mention "health care" over a series of dates (e.g., Date 0-7).
The line 510a may represent the percentages corresponding to
"Democrat" sources, and the line 510b may represent the percentages
corresponding to "Republican" sources. In another scenario, with
respect to FIG. 5B, graph 508 may include selectable data points
512 along lines 510a or 510b. A user may, for example, click,
touch, or otherwise select one of the data points 512 to trigger
one or more presentations of information items that correspond to
the selected data point 512.
[0075] In another scenario, with respect to FIG. 5C, attribute area
504 may allow a user to view or modify the attributes being
compared by graph 508 as well as the keywords from which graph 508
is based. Attribute area 504 may include query input components
514a and 514b, attribute menu components 516a and 516b, and a query
input component 518. As an example, a user may utilize query input
component 514a to perform a suggestive search of attributes to
determine a first attribute for comparison and query input
component 514b to perform a suggestive search of attributes to
determine a second attribute for comparison. Responsive to
determination of each attribute, the attributes to be compared may
be presented respectively on attribute menu components 516a and
516b to indicate to the user the attributes to be compared.
Available attributes may, for example, include "House Democrats"
and "House Republicans" in general, individual politicians of the
"House Democrats" or the "House Republicans," or other
attributes.
[0076] As another example, attribute menu components 516a and 516b
may provide a user with scrollable drop-down menus of the available
attributes for comparison. The user may scroll through the
drop-menus to determine the attributes to be compared. As yet
another example, a user may modify the criteria (e.g., keywords or
other criteria) with which the comparison of the attributes are
based using query input component 518.
[0077] In certain implementations, query input module 108 may be
configured to receive an input relating to a query. Information
retrieval module 114 may be configured to determine a subset of
information items of the predefined sources that relate to the
received input. In some implementations, comparison module 120 may
be configured to generate the comparison based on one or more first
sources of the predefined sources associated with the determined
subset that relate to the first attribute and one or more second
sources of the predefined sources associated with the determined
subset that relate to the second attribute. In one or more
implementations, comparison module 120 may be configured to
generate the comparison based on one or more first information
items of the determined subset that relate to the first attribute
and one or more second information items of the determined subset
that relate to the second attribute.
[0078] In various implementations, user interface module 112 may be
configured to provide a presentation of the comparison on a display
of a user interface simultaneously with one or more representations
of the determined subset of the information items. For example,
with respect to FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D, inputs entered into query
input components 202 or 518 may generate a result set of
information items for each of the attributes being compared along
with graph 508. For example, where a first attribute being compared
is "House Leaders Democrat," second attribute being compared is
"Senate Leaders Democrat," and the criteria is "health care," a
result set of information items that relate to "health care" and
are associated with "House Leader Democrat" sources may be provided
in first information item area 506a, and a result set of
information items that relate to "health care" and are associated
with "Senate Leader Democrat" sources may be provided in second
information item area 506b. As illustrated by FIG. 5D, each of the
information item areas 506a and 506b may include source
representation area 520 of sources associated with the information
items, item description areas 522, or other features.
[0079] User device 104 may comprise any type of mobile terminal,
fixed terminal, and/or other device. For example, user device 104
may comprise a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a netbook
computer, a tablet computer, a smartphone, a navigation device, an
electronic book device, a gaming device, and/or any other user
device. In some implementations, user device 104 may comprise the
accessories and peripherals of these devices. User device 104 may
also support any type of interface to the user (such as "wearable"
circuitry, etc.).
[0080] Communication network 106 of system 100 may comprise one or
more networks such as a data network, a wireless network, a
telephony network, and/or other communication networks. A data
network may comprise any local area network (LAN), metropolitan
area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN), a public data network
(e.g., the Internet), short range wireless network, and/or any
other suitable packet-switched network. The wireless network may,
for example, comprise a cellular network and may employ various
technologies including enhanced data rates for global evolution
(EDGE), general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for
mobile communications (GSM), Internet protocol multimedia subsystem
(IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), etc., as
well as any other suitable wireless medium (e.g., worldwide
interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution
(LTE) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code
division multiple access (WCDMA), wireless fidelity (WiFi),
wireless LAN (WLAN), Bluetooth, Internet Protocol (IP) data
casting, satellite, mobile ad-hoc network (MANET), etc.).
[0081] In some implementations, server 102 may include an
electronic storage 122, one or more processors 124, and/or other
components. Server 102 may include communication lines, or ports to
enable the exchange of information with a network and/or other
computing platforms. Illustration of server 102 in FIG. 1 is not
intended to be limiting. Server 102 may include a plurality of
hardware, software, and/or firmware components operating together
to provide the functionality attributed herein to server 102. For
example, server 102 may be implemented by a cloud of computing
platforms operating together as server 102.
[0082] Electronic storage 122 may comprise non-transitory storage
media that electronically stores information. The electronic
storage media of electronic storage 122 may include one or both of
system storage that is provided integrally (i.e., substantially
non-removable) with server 102 and/or removable storage that is
removably connectable to server 102 via, for example, a port (e.g.,
a USB port, a firewire port, etc.) or a drive (e.g., a disk drive,
etc.). Electronic storage 122 may include one or more of optically
readable storage media (e.g., optical disks, etc.), magnetically
readable storage media (e.g., magnetic tape, magnetic hard drive,
floppy drive, etc.), electrical charge-based storage media (e.g.,
EEPROM, RAM, etc.), solid-state storage media (e.g., flash drive,
etc.), and/or other electronically readable storage media.
Electronic storage 122 may include one or more virtual storage
resources (e.g., cloud storage, a virtual private network, and/or
other virtual storage resources). Electronic storage 122 may store
software algorithms, information determined by processor 124,
information received from server 102, information received from
user devices 104, and/or other information that enables server 102
to function as described herein. In some implementations,
electronic storage may comprise a non-transitory, tangible
computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored
thereon, wherein the program instructs a microprocessor to perform
some or all of the functionality of modules 106, 108, 110, 112,
114, 116, 118, 120, and/or other modules.
[0083] Processor 124 is configured to provide information
processing capabilities in server 102. As such, processor 124 may
include one or more of a digital processor, an analog processor, a
digital circuit designed to process information, an analog circuit
designed to process information, a state machine, and/or other
mechanisms for electronically processing information. Although
processor 124 is shown in FIG. 1 as a single entity, this is for
illustrative purposes only. In some implementations, processor 124
may include a plurality of processing units. These processing units
may be physically located within the same device, or processor 124
may represent processing functionality of a plurality of devices
operating in coordination. Processor 124 may be configured to
execute modules 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and/or
other modules. Processor 124 may be configured to execute modules
106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and/or other modules by
software; hardware; firmware; some combination of software,
hardware, and/or firmware; and/or other mechanisms for configuring
processing capabilities on processor 124.
[0084] It should be appreciated that although modules 106, 108,
110, 112, 114, 116, 118 and 120 are illustrated in FIG. 1 as being
co-located within a single processing unit, in implementations in
which processor 124 includes multiple processing units, one or more
of modules 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, and/or 120 may be
located remotely from the other modules. The description of the
functionality provided by the different modules 106, 108, 110, 112,
114, 116, 118, and/or 120 described below is for illustrative
purposes, and is not intended to be limiting, as any of modules
106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, and/or 120 may provide more or
less functionality than is described. For example, one or more of
modules 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, and/or 120 may be
eliminated, and some or all of its functionality may be provided by
other ones of modules 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, and/or
120. As another example, processor 124 may be configured to execute
one or more additional modules that may perform some or all of the
functionality attributed below to one of modules 106, 108, 110,
112, 114, 116, 118, and/or 120.
[0085] FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of processing operations for
facilitating queries of a topic-based-source-specific search
system, in accordance with one or more implementations. The
operations of process 600 presented below are intended to be
illustrative. In some implementations, process 600 may be
accomplished with one or more additional operations not described,
and/or without one or more of the operations discussed.
Additionally, the order in which the operations of process 600 are
illustrated in FIG. 6 and described below is not intended to be
limiting.
[0086] In certain implementations, one or more operations of
process 600 may be implemented in one or more processing devices
(e.g., a digital processor, an analog processor, a digital circuit
designed to process information, an analog circuit designed to
process information, a state machine, and/or other mechanisms for
electronically processing information). The one or more processing
devices may include one or more devices executing some or all of
the operations of process 600 in response to instructions stored
electronically on an electronic storage medium. The one or more
processing devices may include one or more devices configured
through hardware, firmware, and/or software to be specifically
designed for execution of one or more of the operations of process
600.
[0087] In certain implementations, the topic-based-source-system
may be configured to collect information from predefined sources
relating to a content topic prior to queries of the
topic-based-source-system. In some implementations, the content
topic may correspond to government information or other type of
information.
[0088] In an operation 602, a query input component may be provided
on a display of a user interface. The query input component may be
configured to receive input. Operation 602 may be performed by a
user interface module that is the same as or similar to user
interface module 112, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0089] In an operation 604, an input relating to a query may be
received. Operation 604 may be performed by a query input module
that is the same as or similar to query input module 108, in
accordance with one or more implementations.
[0090] In an operation 606, suggested ones of the predefined
sources, suggested ones of information items of the predefined
sources, and one or more suggested keywords may be determined based
on the received input. In certain implementations, the information
items may relate to one or more of press releases, speeches,
opinions, statements, legislation, or other government information.
In some implementations, the selected information items may relate
to bills or laws. Operation 606 may be performed by a suggestion
module that is the same as or similar to suggestion module 110, in
accordance with one or more implementations.
[0091] In an operation 608, a set of suggestions including a group
of suggestions relating to the suggested sources, a group of
suggestions relating to the suggested information items, and a
group of suggestions relating to the suggested keywords may be
provided for presentation on the user interface. Operation 608 may
be performed by a user interface module that is the same as or
similar to user interface module 112, in accordance with one or
more implementations.
[0092] In an operation 610, a second input relating to the query
may be received. The second input may be received responsive to
providing the set of suggestions. Operation 610 may be performed by
a query input module that is the same as or similar to query input
module 108, in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0093] In an operation 612, a subset of the information items that
relates to the received second input may be determined. Operation
612 may be performed by an information retrieval module that is the
same as or similar to information retrieval module 114, in
accordance with one or more implementations.
[0094] In an operation 614, one or more sources associated with the
determined subset of the information items may be determined. The
determined sources may include one or more political or government
sources. The political or government sources may relate to one or
more political parties, political or government organizations,
political or government figures, or other political or government
sources. Operation 614 may be performed by an information retrieval
module that is the same as or similar to information retrieval
module 114, in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0095] In certain implementations, one or more representations of
the determined subset of the information items and one or more
representations of the determined sources may be provided on the
display of the user interface simultaneously with the query input
component. Providing of the representations of the determined
subset and the representations of the determined sources may be
performed by a user interface module that is the same as or similar
to user interface module 112, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0096] In an operation 616, a source set associated with a user may
be determined. The source set may include at least one source
associated with the user. Operation 616 may be performed by a user
profile module that is the same as or similar to user profile
module 118, in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0097] In an operation 618, the source set may be determined to
include a first source of the determined sources and determined not
to include a second source of the determined sources. Operation 618
may be performed by a user profile module that is the same as or
similar to user profile module 118, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0098] In an operation 620, a representation of an option to remove
the first source (of the determined sources) from the source set
and a representation of an option to add the second source (of the
determined sources) to the source set may be provided on the
display of the user interface simultaneously with the query input
component, the representations of the determined subset, and the
representations of the determined sources. Operation 620 may be
performed by a user interface module that is the same as or similar
to user interface module 112, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0099] In an operation 622, one or more first item types may be
associated with a primary item type set. The first item types may
be associated with the primary item type set based on one or more
inputs corresponding to selection of the first item types.
Operation 622 may be performed by a user profile module that is the
same as or similar to user profile module 118, in accordance with
one or more implementations.
[0100] In an operation 624, one or more representations of first
information items of the determined subset may be provided in a
primary area on the display of the user interface. The
representations of the first information items may be provided in
the primary area based on a determination that the first
information items are associated with the first item types.
Operation 624 may be performed by a user interface module that is
the same as or similar to user interface module 112, in accordance
with one or more implementations.
[0101] In an operation 626, one or more representations of second
information items of the determined subset may be provided in a
secondary area on the display of the user interface. The
representations of the second information items may be provided in
the secondary area based on a determination that the second
information items are associated with the second item types. In
some implementations, the first item types are associated with the
primary item type set. The second item types are not associated
with the primary item type set. Operation 626 may be performed by a
user interface module that is the same as or similar to user
interface module 112, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0102] In an operation 628, one or more representations of options
to select or unselect a plurality of item types to modify the
primary item type set may be provided on the display of the user
interface simultaneously with the query input component, the
representations of the determined subset, the representations of
the determined sources, the primary area, and the secondary area.
In some implementations, the secondary area may be removed from
view of on the display of the user interface based on a
determination that each of the plurality of item types is selected.
Operation 628 may be performed by a user interface module that is
the same as or similar to user interface module 112, in accordance
with one or more implementations.
[0103] In an operation 630, one of the information items of the
determined subset may be provided on a second display of the user
interface. Operation 630 may be performed by a user interface
module that is the same as or similar to user interface module 112,
in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0104] In an operation 632, one or more suggested keywords that
relate to a second query of the predefined sources and the
presented information item may be determined. Operation 632 may be
performed by a suggestion module that is the same as or similar to
suggestion module 110, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0105] In an operation 634, a group of suggestions relating to the
suggested keywords may be provided on the second display of the
user interface simultaneously with the presented information item.
Operation 634 may be performed by a user interface module that is
the same as or similar to user interface module 112, in accordance
with one or more implementations.
[0106] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of processing operations for
facilitating queries of a topic-based-source-specific search
system, in accordance with one or more implementations. The
operations of process 700 presented below are intended to be
illustrative. In some implementations, process 700 may be
accomplished with one or more additional operations not described,
and/or without one or more of the operations discussed.
Additionally, the order in which the operations of process 700 are
illustrated in FIG. 7 and described below is not intended to be
limiting.
[0107] In certain implementations, one or more operations of
process 700 may be implemented in one or more processing devices
(e.g., a digital processor, an analog processor, a digital circuit
designed to process information, an analog circuit designed to
process information, a state machine, and/or other mechanisms for
electronically processing information). The one or more processing
devices may include one or more devices executing some or all of
the operations of process 700 in response to instructions stored
electronically on an electronic storage medium. The one or more
processing devices may include one or more devices configured
through hardware, firmware, and/or software to be specifically
designed for execution of one or more of the operations of process
700.
[0108] In certain implementations, the topic-based-source-system
may be configured to collect information from predefined sources
relating to a content topic prior to queries of the
topic-based-source-system. In some implementations, the content
topic may correspond to government information or other type of
information.
[0109] In an operation 702, a query input component may be provided
on a display of a user interface. The query input component may be
configured to receive input. Operation 702 may be performed by a
user interface module that is the same as or similar to user
interface module 112, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0110] In an operation 704, an input relating to a query may be
received. Operation 704 may be performed by a query input module
that is the same as or similar to query input module 108, in
accordance with one or more implementations.
[0111] In an operation 706, a subset of information items of the
predefined sources that relates to the received input may be
determined. In certain implementations, the information items may
relate to one or more of press releases, speeches, opinions,
statements, legislations, or other government information.
Operation 706 may be performed by an information retrieval module
that is the same as or similar to information retrieval module 114,
in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0112] In an operation 708, one or more first filters and one or
more second filters to be applied to the determined subset of the
information items may be determined. Operation 708 may be performed
by an information retrieval module that is the same as or similar
to information retrieval module 114, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0113] In an operation 710, one or more first information items of
the determined subset may be determined based on the first filters.
In some implementations, the first filters may relate to one or
more of first political entities, first government entities, or
first legislations. Operation 710 may be performed by an
information retrieval module that is the same as or similar to
information retrieval module 114, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0114] In an operation 712, one or more second information items of
the determined subset may be determined based on the second
filters. In some implementations, the second filters may relate to
one or more of second political entities, second government
entities, or second legislations. Operation 712 may be performed by
an information retrieval module that is the same as or similar to
information retrieval module 114, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0115] In an operation 714, one or more representations of the
first information items of the determined subset may be provided in
a first area on the display of the user interface, and one or more
representations of the second information items of the determined
subset may be provided in a second area of the display of the user
interface. The representations of the first information items and
the representations of the second information items may be
presented on the display simultaneously with the query input
component. Operation 714 may be performed by a user interface
module that is the same as or similar to user interface module 112,
in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0116] In an operation 716, a source set associated with a user may
be determined. The source set may include at least one source
associated with the user. Operation 716 may be performed by a user
profile module that is the same as or similar to user profile
module 118, in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0117] In an operation 718, suggested ones of the predefined
sources that are not included in the source set may be determined.
Operation 718 may be performed by a suggestion module that is the
same as or similar to suggestion module 110, in accordance with one
or more implementations.
[0118] In an operation 720, a group of suggestions relating to the
suggested sources may be provided on the display of the user
interface simultaneously with the query input component, the
representations of the first information items, the representations
of the second information items. In some implementations, the group
of suggestions relating to the suggested sources may be provided on
the display of the user interface based on a determination that the
suggested sources are not included in the source set. Operation 720
may be performed by a user interface module that is the same as or
similar to user interface module 112, in accordance with one or
more implementations.
[0119] FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart of processing operations for
facilitating comparisons of predefined source attributes based on
queries of a topic-based-source-specific search system, in
accordance with one or more implementations. The operations of
process 800 presented below are intended to be illustrative. In
some implementations, process 800 may be accomplished with one or
more additional operations not described, and/or without one or
more of the operations discussed. Additionally, the order in which
the operations of process 800 are illustrated in FIG. 8 and
described below is not intended to be limiting.
[0120] In certain implementations, one or more operations of
process 800 may be implemented in one or more processing devices
(e.g., a digital processor, an analog processor, a digital circuit
designed to process information, an analog circuit designed to
process information, a state machine, and/or other mechanisms for
electronically processing information). The one or more processing
devices may include one or more devices executing some or all of
the operations of process 800 in response to instructions stored
electronically on an electronic storage medium. The one or more
processing devices may include one or more devices configured
through hardware, firmware, and/or software to be specifically
designed for execution of one or more of the operations of process
800.
[0121] In certain implementations, the topic-based-source-system
may be configured to collect information from predefined sources
relating to a content topic prior to queries of the
topic-based-source-system. In some implementations, the content
topic may correspond to government information or other type of
information.
[0122] In an operation 802, metadata may be stored in association
with the predefined sources or information items of the predefined
sources. The metadata may indicate a first attribute relating to
first ones of the predefined sources or the information items, a
second attribute relating to second ones of the predefined sources
or the information items, or other attribute. In various
implementations, the first attribute may correspond to a first
political or government entity. The second attribute may correspond
to a second political or government entity. In some
implementations, the first political or government entity may
correspond to a first political party, a first political or
government organization, a first political or government figure, or
other political or government entity. The second political or
government entity may correspond to a second political party, a
second political or government organization, a second political or
government figure, or other political or government entity.
Operation 802 may be performed by an indexing module that is the
same as or similar to indexing module 116, in accordance with one
or more implementations.
[0123] In an operation 804, a query input component may be provided
on a display of a user interface. The query input component may be
configured to receive input. Operation 804 may be performed by a
user interface module that is the same as or similar to user
interface module 112, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0124] In an operation 806, an input relating to a query may be
received. Operation 806 may be performed by a query input module
that is the same as or similar to query input module 108, in
accordance with one or more implementations.
[0125] In an operation 808, a subset of information items of the
predefined sources that relate to the received input may be
determined. Operation 808 may be performed by an information
retrieval module that is the same as or similar to information
retrieval module 114, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0126] In an operation 810, a comparison between the first
attribute indicated by the stored metadata and the second attribute
indicated by the stored metadata may be generated based on the
determined subset. In certain implementations, the comparison may
be generated based on one or more first information items of the
determined subset that relate to the first attribute and one or
more second information items of the determined subset that relate
to the second attribute. In some implementations, the comparison
may be generated based on one or more first sources of the
predefined sources associated with the determined subset that
relate to the first attribute and one or more second sources of the
predefined sources associated with the determined subset that
relate to the second attribute. Operation 810 may be performed by a
comparison module that is the same as or similar to comparison
module 120, in accordance with one or more implementations.
[0127] In an operation 812, the generated comparison and
representations of the determined subset of the information items
may be provided on the display of the user interface simultaneously
with the query input component. Operation 812 may be performed by a
user interface module that is the same as or similar to user
interface module 112, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0128] In an operation 814, a second input relating to a second
query of a plurality of attributes may be received. Operation 814
may be performed by a query input module that is the same as or
similar to query input module 108, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0129] In an operation 816, suggested ones of the plurality of
attributes may be determined based on the received second input.
Operation 816 may be performed by a suggestion module that is the
same as or similar to suggestion module 110, in accordance with one
or more implementations.
[0130] In an operation 818, a group of suggested relating to the
suggested attributes may be provided on the display of the user
interface simultaneously with the query input component, the
generated comparison, and the representations of the determined
subset of the information items. Operation 818 may be performed by
a user interface module that is the same as or similar to user
interface module 112, in accordance with one or more
implementations.
[0131] Although the present invention has been described in detail
for the purpose of illustration based on what is currently
considered to be the most practical and preferred implementations,
it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose
and that the invention is not limited to the disclosed
implementations, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover
modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the
spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be
understood that the present invention contemplates that, to the
extent possible, one or more features of any implementation can be
combined with one or more features of any other implementation.
* * * * *